Group speakers

• US 10,075,908 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audink Inc.
• Original Assignee: Erik Young
• Inventors: Young, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan
• Application Number:
  US15/620,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 455 111, 455 413, 455411, 4555521
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15 Active relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a playback device configured to audibly output audio in a multi-network environment. The device may include a network interface to receive audio and/or video data over a plurality of wireless networks; speaker drivers; one or more color indicators associated with wireless networks; a user interface to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a specific wireless network through a the use of a color indicator; and one or more processors to sign into a selected first wireless network and receive data therefrom, and to audibly output the data received; receive from the user interface a selection of a specific color, the specific color associated with a second wireless network; sign out of the specific wireless network and into the second wireless network; and receive from the second wireless network data, and output the audio via the one or more speaker drivers.

Claims

1. A playback device configured to audibly output audio in a multi-network environment, the device comprising:

a network interface to receive audio data over a plurality of wireless networks;

one or more speaker drivers to audibly output the audio received;

one or more color indicators associated specific wireless networks;

a user interface, the user interface configured to receive a user input to select a specific wireless network through a user selection of a specific color indicator; and

one or more processors, configured to;

sign into a selected first specific wireless network and receive audio data therefrom, and to audibly output the audio data received via the one or more speaker drivers;

receive from the user interface a selection of a specific color, the specific color associated with a second specific wireless network;

sign out of the first specific wireless network and into the second specific wireless network; and

receive from the second specific wireless network audio data, and output the audio data via the one or more speaker drivers.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein any playback device is configurable to broadcast a wireless network.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the playback device is configurable to broadcast the specific wireless network comprising the audio data the playback device is outputting audibly through the one or more speaker drivers.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the playback device is configured to operate as a wireless repeater for repeating and extending the wireless network.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the playback device operates as an individual node on a wireless network, and is configured to broadcast the wireless network.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more color indicators are associated with light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the same color, the LEDs being viewable by the user when selected.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the user interface comprises one or more buttons, used by the user to change the color of the LEDs, and correspondingly instruct the playback device to change wireless networks to the specific wireless network associated with the selected color.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is considered a trusted source, and is authenticated to sign into the first and second specific wireless network without any additional user input.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is further configured to:

broadcast the specific wireless network comprising the audio data the playback device is outputting audibly through the one or more speaker drivers, such that other playback devices or other devices may access the specific wireless network through the playback device.

10. A playback device configured to audibly output audio and/or video data received from a wireless network in a multi-network environment, the playback device acting as an individual node on the wireless network and being configured to broadcast the audio and/or video data audibly output, or to act as a repeater and broadcast the audio and/or video data received from the wireless network, the device comprising:

a network interface to receive audio data over a plurality of wireless networks;

one or more speaker drivers to audibly output the audio received;

a user interface, the user interface configured to receive a user input to select the wireless network; and

one or more processors, configured to;

sign into a selected first wireless network and receive audio data therefrom, and to audibly output the audio data received via the one or more speaker drivers, wherein the playback device has the proper credentials and authorization to sign into the first wireless network without any additional user input;

receive from the user interface a selection of a second wireless network;

sign out of the first wireless network and into the second wireless network, wherein the playback device has the proper credentials and authorization to sign into the second wireless network without any additional user input; and

receive from the second wireless network audio data, and output the audio data via the one or more speaker drivers.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the playback device is further configured to:

broadcast the specific wireless network comprising the audio data the playback device is outputting audibly through the one or more speaker drivers, such that other playback devices or other devices may access the specific wireless network through the playback device.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more color indicators associated with specific wireless networks, wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user selection of a specific color indicator to select a specific wireless network.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more color indicators are associated with light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the same color, the LEDs being viewable by the user when selected.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the user interface comprises one or more buttons, used by the user to change the color of the LEDs, and correspondingly instruct the playback device to change wireless networks to the specific wireless network associated with the selected color.